


Happy Endings

by molstrom



Series: Path to Forever [3]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:22:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25009921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/molstrom/pseuds/molstrom
Summary: Veronica, Logan, Dick, and Mac move with the kids.
Relationships: Dick Casablancas & Veronica Mars, Dick Casablancas/Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie, Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Series: Path to Forever [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803442
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	1. Prologue - New Settings

**Author's Note:**

> For the record, the kid's ages at the beginning of this story are approximately: Michael - 8, Lilly - 5, and Lettie - 1.5.
> 
> I'm not going to write a backstory of Mac and Dick becoming close, just assume that as he became close with Veronica that spilled over to her other friends.

Six months after Big Dick’s death, Dick drove while drunk with Michael in the car. They were in a minor accident, but aside from a slight head injury that Dick sustained, no-one was hurt. That night we took him to rehab. He was there for 2 months. During our last family visiting day, he asked if we would be willing to move away from Neptune.  
“Where do you want to move Dick?”  
“We were happy in Hawaii.”  
“Yes, we were. Would being there help with everything? Is running away the answer?”  
“I’m not running away, Ronnie. I’m wanting to return to where our family was happiest.”

I look at Logan and he tilts his head slightly.  
“Dick, if you think being in Hawaii would help you process Big Dick’s death in a healthy manner, then we are all for it. Dad’s retired, so he doesn’t need me. I’d have to take the bar in Hawaii, but that should be easy (aside from the whole ‘deceased fiancé was in prison on RICO related murder charges’ thing). Logan can transfer to Hawaii when he goes back from his leave of absence. But what will you do? Without Big Dick funnelling money into your movies the studio has dissolved your contract.”  
“I was thinking I might open a surf shop.”  
“In Hawaii? Isn’t that kind of a tapped market?”  
“Well then, I’ll be a house-husband. That is if you trust me with the kids still…”  
He looks down at the table and refuses to look at me.

I reach out and grab his face.  
“Dick, look at me.”  
He slowly raises his eyes, I keep my hands on his face as I say:  
“There is no-one in the world that I trust with my kids more than you. You made a mistake after months of suffering. Michael is okay. The kids love you. I love you. Logan loves you. You are our family. I will not hold a mistake made in the throes of grief against you.”

Dick has tears streaming down his face, which I am trying my best to wipe away, as he says:  
“You guys are the only family I have left…Well, you and Keith. Thank you for not hating me for what I did…even though I hate myself.”  
“Oh, Dick. It’s okay. I promise.”

I lean over and gently kiss both his cheeks.  
“We’ll start looking for a house in Hawaii. On the beach again? Or would you prefer up one of the mountains?”

Dick and Logan look at each other and both say:  
“Beach.”

Logan laughs and says:  
“Michael would agree too. That kid loves to surf.”

I shake my head at my idiots and say:  
“Should I buy it in our names or use Phoenix?”

Dick and Logan look thoughtful for a minute, then Dick says:  
“Use our savings. I haven’t gotten someone to go over Phoenix in detail, and I don’t want to lose our house if we get blindsided by something.”  
“Okay. What’s the budget? Are we using my savings or our joint savings?”

Dick shakes his head at me and says:  
“Joint, Veronica. Pick your top five houses and we’ll choose together.”  
“Okay, my love.”

I pat Dick’s cheek and stand up.  
“We have to go now, baby. But you get to come home next week.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Over the next week, I contact a real estate agent in Hawaii to get house listings, pack our Neptune house, prepare to ship our belongings to Hawaii, get rid of all the alcohol and any pill stronger than a Tylenol from our house, and have a talk with Dad about us moving. After our talk, Dad decides that without us in Neptune there was nothing holding him here, and decides to move to Hawaii too.

Finally, it’s time for Dick to come home. Logan drives out to the rehab centre to pick him up while the kids and I decorate the house and get the ‘Welcome Home’ cake ready.

When the boys walk through the door I happen to be standing right there so I get to hug Dick before the kids attack him. I wrap my arms around his neck and gently kiss him.  
“Welcome home baby. Brace yourself. The tiny people are coming.”

Michael spots Dick first and comes running at us full speed, I back up so I don’t get run over.  
“Uncle Dickie! I missed you!”  
Michael jumps into Dick’s arms and buries his face into Dick’s neck.  
“Hey, Kiddo. I missed you too.”

Lilly came running into the room yelling:  
“Uncle Dickie!”  
Dick shifts Michael to one arm so he can pick Lilly up with the other arm.  
“Hi, baby girl.”

From the other room we hear:  
“Hey, Dick.”  
Dick’s eyes get huge, and he says:  
“Mackie? What are you doing here?”

Mac laughs as she walks in with Lettie in her arms.  
“You just got out of rehab, Dick. Me not being here wasn’t even an option.”

Mac stands on her toes and kisses Dick on the cheek. Lettie reaches for Dick, so Dick puts down the older kids and takes Lettie from Mac.  
“Hello, sweetheart. I missed you.”  
He kisses the top of Lettie’s head and I can see tears glistening in his eyes.  
“We have cake in the dining room. We also have house listings that we need to look at as a family.”  
“We could look at those after Mackie leaves, right?”

I look at Mac and nod at her. She says:  
“Nope. I want a say in the house I’ll be living in.”

Dick looks confused.  
“Wait? What? Really?”  
“Yup. Really. I decided that I wanted to join the family. Logan and Veronica okayed it. They didn’t think you’d have a problem with it.”

Dick hands Lettie to me and then makes a loud whooping noise and picks up Mac and spins her around.

Mac laughs and says:  
“So is that a yes?”

Dick puts Mac down and says:  
“Yes, yes. Of course.”

“Now let’s go have cake and pick a house.”  
“Yes, Ronnie.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

After we’ve had cake we start looking at the house listings.

We finally settle on a Spanish style courtyard house on the beach. It has a pool in the courtyard so the kids can swim without having to be in the ocean all the time. It has three master suites and a self-contained apartment, along with four additional bedrooms. We decide that Mac will take the self-contained apartment since she’s not used to living with a lot of people yet, and Dick, Logan, and I will each take a master suite. I call our real estate agent and tell her to make an offer on the house. She emails over the paperwork for us to sign a short time later and later that night our offer is accepted.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A month later, after a short closing, we arrive in Hawaii and begin settling in.


	2. Years, Continents, Bloodshed

One day a few weeks later, Michael and Lilly are at school, and I’m in the kitchen making lunch for Lettie and me. I hear the front door open and close and footsteps through the living room. I say:  
“We’re in the kitchen.”  
I hear footsteps enter the room and a low voice say:  
“Hi, baby girl. Is Mommy making lunch?”  
“Yes, I am. You want something?”

He walks up and wraps his arms around my waist and nuzzles his face in my neck.  
“Yes, but it’s not something you can give me in front of Lettie, so I’ll take some of whatever you are making for lunch.”

I turn around in his arms and say:  
“What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be deploying today?”  
“It got pushed back. I have a week before I leave.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and stand up on my toes to kiss him on the cheek.  
“I’m glad we get a little longer with you before you deploy Lo.”  
“I’m always glad to be home, but it sounds like my deployment is going to be longer than the two months it was supposed to be.”  
“How long?”  
“Six months.”  
“Oh.”  
“I’m going to miss Lettie’s birthday.”  
He has tears in his eyes as he says this, so I gently kiss him and say:  
“It’s okay, Logan. She’s only going to be two. She won’t remember her actual birthday, and we can have another celebration once you’re home.”  
“But I promised I’d be home for the kids’ birthdays.”  
“No, you promised you’d try. Logan, you have no control over the length or location of your deployments. The kids are okay. They love you whether you are here for birthdays, or Christmas, or whatever.”  
“I hate missing family events.”  
“I know. We hate not having you here. But deployment is kind of a large part of your job, babe.”  
“Yeah. I know.”

He lets me go and walks over to Lettie, stands behind her in her high chair and waves her arms around.  
“You promised us lunch, woman. We’re hungry.”  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”  
I turn around to finish making lunch.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

After lunch, I clean up as Logan puts Lettie down for her nap. His nap time routine with her is so long that they are still going through it when I’m done cleaning up the kitchen. I stop in the doorway to her room and watch them together. Unlike Michael and Lillian, who are blonde with blue eyes, Lettie is the spitting image of her sister Valentina: she has beautiful mahogany coloured hair which cascades almost to her shoulders in ringlets. She’s inherited her daddy’s caramel skin tone and gorgeous chocolate eyes. But her personality is all Logan. Aside from a couple of very short deployments, Logan has been here her entire life. He was in the room with me when she was born, and he got to hold her first. They bonded instantly, and she has always loved him the most.

I catch his eye and gesture in the direction of my bedroom and then walk away.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Twenty minutes later, I’m laying on my bed reading a book when Logan comes to the door.  
“Do you need me to go get the kids in a bit?”  
“Nope. Mac and Dick are picking them up and taking them to the park. They said they’d bring dinner home too.”  
“So, we have two hours or so of quiet alone time?”  
“Assuming you successfully got Lettie down? Yes.”  
“I always successfully get her down. She loves me.”  
“Yes, she does.”

He stands there looking at me for a moment, and then says:  
“Can I join you?”  
“Of course.”

I put my book down on my end table and move over, so there is room for Logan to lie down next to me. He walked in the room, pushed the door mostly closed, and then climbed onto the bed. Once he’s laying down, I curl into him and put my head on his chest. He is playing with my hair with one hand and tracing circles on my hip with the other.  
“Go to sleep, Ronnie. You don’t get enough sleep.”  
“I have nightmares still.”  
“I know, baby. I’m here. Go to sleep for a bit.”  
“I don’t want to sleep. You’re only home for another week.”  
“What do you want to do then?”  
“I just want to be here with you in the quiet.”  
“Okay, Ronnie.”

I move my hand that’s sitting on his waist, so it’s resting on his abdomen under the bottom edge of his shirt.  
“Geez, your hand is cold, Ronnie.”  
“You’re so warm. Why are you always so warm?”  
“Here, move for a second.”

I move away from him, and he sits up and takes his shirt off, then lays back down.  
“Come here.”  
I move back over to where he is and curl back up. He goes back to playing with my hair and drawing circles on my hip.

“I was thinking that maybe after my deployment, I could move in here with you. Not suggesting you need to start having sex with me or anything, but your nightmares have been so bad lately you aren’t sleeping. You always sleep better with someone with you.”  
“Why don’t you just move in now?”

Logan pulls my hair a little to make me look at him.  
“Like right this minute?”  
“No, but today.”

He looks surprised like he didn’t even expect me to agree to the original idea.  
“Are you sure?”  
I put my hand on the back of his head and pull his face closer to mine so I can kiss him. Unlike our usual lip-brushes, this kiss is slow, sweet, and deep. When we pull apart, I say:  
“Years, continents, bloodshed.”  
“I love you, Ronnie, but are you sure?"  
“Logan. I love you, my kids love you - actually, I’m pretty sure Lettie loves you more than she loves me…Yes, I’m sure.”

Logan kisses me again, and then we go back to just laying there in silence. After a few minutes, I whisper:  
“I just can’t take any more heartbreak. Please don’t break my heart Logan, I don’t think I’d survive.”


	3. Nothing Is Ever Simple

The next week flew by. Logan officially moved into my room and we started sleeping together, but other than that, nothing really changed. The night before he deployed, all three kids climbed into bed with us, but Logan was gone before any of us woke up.

We adapted to our usual deployment routine: Skype calls in the evening when he was able to, emails the rest of the time. About two months into the deployment the kids decided they were going to start calling him “Dad”, which I didn’t argue with, after all, he had been there the majority of their lives. But then we didn’t hear from him, for days. We didn’t get any official word that something was wrong, so I assumed bad internet connections and we went on with our lives.

A week after the radio silence started, Lettie and I were picking Michael and Lillian up from school. I let them play on the playground for a bit before heading home, and was sitting on a bench when I hear ‘Hi baby’ from behind me. The kids spot him as I turn around, and they all yell:  
“Daddy’s home!”

Logan’s face lights up as the kids launch themselves at him.  
“Daddy, huh?”  
I nod at him and say:  
“That's all them. I had nothing to do with it.”

We walk home as a family, Logan carrying Lettie on his shoulders and holding Lillian’s hand, while Michael holds mine. When we get to the house, Michael and Lillian run inside yelling for Dick and Mac:  
“Uncle Dickie, Aunt Mac! Daddy’s home!”

As we walk in the house I take Lettie off Logan’s shoulders and take her in the bathroom to clean up. (Every time we go to the park she ends up looking like she’s been living in the woods for a year. I don’t understand how she gets so dirty so quickly.) As we come back out, my phone rings. It’s Jade, so I answer.  
“Hey, Jade.”  
“Veronica…Eli just called me.”  
“But Eli is dead. Remember?”  
“Yeah. I thought so too. Apparently he’s not. He asked where you are. I told him. I’m sorry, Veronica. He’s on his way.”  
“Well, shit. Thanks for the heads up, Jade.”

I walk into the living room and don’t say anything. I make eye contact with Logan and he knows something is wrong, so he says:  
“Michael, why don’t you take your sisters and the pizza menu and figure out what you guys want for dinner? We need to have a grown-up talk for a few minutes.”  
“Yes, Dad.”

Once the kids leave the room, Logan comes over to me and says:  
“What Ronnie? What’s wrong?”  
“Jade just called. Eli’s not dead.”

Dick, Mac, and Logan all say:  
“What?”  
“That was my response too. She didn’t have any details. Just that he isn’t dead and he’s coming here.”

Dick and Mac sit on the couch and Dick says:  
“Well, shit. What does that mean, Ronnie?”  
“It means he’s not dead. It means that he allowed me and my children to think he was dead for over two years.”

Logan reaches for me and I step into his arms. I can see uncertainty in his eyes, so I say:  
“Nothing, Logan. It changes nothing about us. Eli suddenly being alive changes nothing about our family.”  
“He’s Lettie’s dad.”  
“He is her biological father, yes. But Logan? You are her Dad. You have been here her whole life. You are the one she loves. The one she wants when she has a bad dream and when she’s sick…You are the only one who can get that stubborn little girl to nap. You are her Dad in every way that’s important.”

Logan kisses me and when he pulls away he says:  
“We have to tell the kids.”  
“Not until I know what’s going on. Dick, Mac? You guys were talking about taking the kids to Aulani for a few days…Do you think you could do that now? I don’t want them here when Eli shows up.”  
“Yeah, we can. I’ll book it right now, we’ll leave tonight.”

Logan starts to walk out of the room and says:  
“I’ll go get the kids and their stuff.”

Logan is only gone for a minute when Michael walks into the room.  
“Daddy just got back. I don’t want to go.”  
“Sweetie, it’s just for a few days, and you are going to have so much fun. I promise, when you get back, you and Daddy can go on a surfing camp trip, just the two of you, okay?”  
“But Mom…”  
“Michael. I know you don’t want to go, but I need you to, okay? I need you to go and be good for Uncle Dick and Aunt Mac and help with your sisters. Can you do that for me?”  
“What’s wrong Mom?”  
“Just unexpected and unwelcome company. I don’t want you guys here while it’s happening okay?”  
“Okay, Mom.”  
“Go help Daddy pack for your sisters before they end up with all frilly dresses and no play clothes.”

As he leaves the room, Mac says:  
“Room is all booked. We’re there for a week.”  
“Thank you.”  
“No problem. But I expect frequent updates.”  
“Of course.”  
“I need to go pack for us and then we’ll leave.”

I go into Lettie’s room to see how the packing is going and I find Logan, hugging Lettie’s favourite teddy bear and crying. I walk up to him and wrap my arms around him before saying:  
“Logan. Look at me.”  
He turns and looks at me.  
“Stop this. They’re only going to be gone a week.”  
“I’m going to lose them. Lose you. You love Eli.”  
“Sweetheart, I have loved you since we were twelve. After everything we’ve been through, we finally have our happy ending. Do you really think a little thing like a fiancé coming back to life is going to get in the middle of that?”  
“I love you, Ronnie.”  
I stand up on my toes to kiss him.  
“I love you.”

An hour later, everyone’s gone and Logan and I are sitting in the living room when there’s a knock at the door. I get up to answer it, and on the other side is Eli…and Leo.


	4. Answers

I glare at Leo and say:  
“Of course you’re involved in this.”

Eli looks between Logan and me and says:  
“V…I’m so sorry. I didn’t have a choice.”  
“You let me, Jade, Valentina, Michael, and Lilly all think you were dead.”  
“I’m sorry baby. Please let me explain.”  
“Oh, you can explain…but I don’t think I can ever forgive you. You let Michael lose another father! Do you know how badly that affected him?!?”

I’m yelling now, and both Eli and Logan have stepped towards me. I take a step back from the door, into Logan’s arms. He presses a kiss into the top of my head and says:  
“Just breathe Ronnie. I’m sure Eli had his reasons for this. Let’s go to the living room and hear what they are. I suppose Leo can come too.”

My phone rings as we walk into the living room. It’s Dick.  
“Not a good time honey.”  
“I know, sorry Ronnie. The kids want to say goodnight to Logan. Lettie in particular is having a hard time being away from him.”  
“Okay. Put me on speakerphone.”

I hear Dick fumbling with his cell and Mac saying:  
“Just press the speaker button. How do you not know how to do this?”

Finally, I’m on speaker and I can hear the kids. Lettie is crying and Michael and Lilly are trying to calm her down.  
“Hi, my babies. What’s wrong?”  
I hear Lettie sniffle and come closer to the phone.  
“Mommy?”  
“Hi, Lettie baby.”

Across the room from me, Eli gasps and looks at me questioningly.

“I miss Daddy. I want Daddy.”  
“Okay sweet girl. I’ll get Daddy so you can talk to him. I love you guys.”

I hand the phone to Logan and say:  
“Your kids want to talk to you before bed.”

Logan kisses me on the head and leaves the room with the phone.

I look at Eli and say:  
“Well? Explain.”  
“Can we talk about how you have another daughter? One named Lettie?”  
“Oh, you want to talk about Lettie? Fine. The day I found out you were dead, I also found out that I was pregnant. So yes. We have a daughter. Her name is Lettie Elizabeth. She looks just like Valentina. But Logan is her dad. You’re just the biological father.”  
“But she’s mine.”  
“Only in terms of DNA. Logan has been here her entire life. She loves him more than anyone else in the world, including me. I will allow you to have a relationship with her if you stick around, but you will not attempt to come between them in any way, shape, or form. Logan is her dad. Do you understand me?”  
“Yes. So you and Logan?”  
“Yes. Me and Logan. You will not attempt to come between that either.”  
“Okay.”

Logan comes back into the room and hands me my phone.  
“Did you get her calmed down?”  
“Yes. Got her all excited for tomorrow with Aunty Mac. She forgot that she missed us pretty quickly.”  
“Us? No, babe. She misses you. You’ve been gone for months and the day you get home this happens and we have to send the kids away…it’s the worst timing ever.”

We sit in an armchair facing the couch and I say:  
“So…explain. Why did we have to think you were dead for over two years?”

Leo starts to speak, but I cut him off.  
“No. I have no interest in hearing from you right now. The last time you were at my house you tried to force yourself on me. I’m trying to pretend you aren’t here.”  
He looks hurt, but I don’t really care.

I look at Eli.  
“Speak.”  
“I did get jumped that day when Cliff called you. I was in the prison hospital for an hour and then I was attacked again. Leo found out it’s because someone had said I was a rat, so he had me moved to the city hospital under a fake name and the FBI told everyone that I was dead. For the record, Cliff didn’t know the truth. He didn’t lie to you.”  
“I never thought he did. Cliff is one of the few people I trust completely. Why did the FBI protect you if you weren’t actually a rat?”  
“I agreed to be one. In exchange for immunity and protection, I turned on the club.”  
“So why are you here now?”  
He gestures to Leo and says:  
“The FBI and my handler finally decided it was safe enough for me to come home.”  
“So why is he here?”  
“Because that’s part of the deal. For the first year that I’m myself again, Leo here is my shadow.”  
“Why did you come here, Eli? Why disrupt the kids’ stable lives?”  
“I missed you. V, I missed you and the kids so much. I never wanted to leave you. I wanted to marry you. I wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.”  
“Well, that ship has sailed.”  
“Yeah…You’re back with Logan.”  
“Yes. I am. We just got together before this last deployment. I grieved over losing you, Eli. Don’t act like I jumped in bed with Logan the first chance I had. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

I’m crying now, but I don’t even care. Logan is rubbing my back and says:  
“Are you wanting to stay here?”

Eli looks up in surprise.  
“Could we? You’d be okay with that?”  
“We could make it work, but I think Leo and Veronica need to have a conversation.”

I turn to look at Logan.  
“I don’t want to talk to him.”  
“Veronica…You and Leo have a long history, most of which is good. Don’t let one stupid thing he did ruin your friendship.”

I roll my eyes and groan.  
“Less therapy for you I think.”  
“And more for you. When did you go last?”  
“Yesterday. I’ll call in the morning for an emergency appointment. All this is screwing with my head.”

Logan kisses my forehead and says:  
“I talked to Mac when I was on the phone, and she says she officially moved into Dick’s room last week. So the apartment is empty. It has two bedrooms, we could put them there.”  
“Ugh. Fine.”  
“Get up Ronnie. I’ll show Eli the apartment, you and Leo talk.”


	5. Explanations

When Logan and Eli leave the room, Leo and I just stare at each other for a minute before he says:  
“I’m sorry Veronica. I do have an explanation, not a good one, but an explanation…”  
“Well? What is it?”  
“I knew the agencies were going after the club with RICO. I thought if you broke up with Eli you wouldn’t be hurt by it.”  
“Well, that’s just stupid, considering that Eli and I have been friends since we were 16. Whether I was with him or not I would have been hurt by it.”  
“I said it wasn’t a good explanation.”  
“So why the kiss?”  
“We had something good once…twice. I thought if I could show you that I still loved you, that what you once felt could still be there…that I could convince you to dump Eli and be with me.”  
“You’re an idiot. Why didn’t you just warn us about the RICO investigation?”  
“It didn’t seem like the best course of action.”  
“And lying to me about Eli being dead? Being such a dick on the phone?”  
“It’s easier to lie to you when you aren’t speaking to me. I figured if I pissed you off enough you’d never speak to me again.”  
“Why lie to me though? Why not tell me the truth, Leo? You knew that we were in hiding. We could have just stayed that way. There was no legitimate reason to lie to me.”  
“Lying to you let you move on from Eli.”  
“Leo…I loved him…I love him. We were going to get married. We have a child together, he was helping me raise my other kids. I didn’t want to move on from him. Losing him broke me.”  
“As much as losing Don?”  
“More, I think? Losing him after losing Don killed me. It felt like I was cursed. Like any man that dares to love me would end up dead. What you did was cruel.”  
“If it’s any consolation, Eli did not approve of the plan and I had to hunt him down multiple times because he ran off to find you. You are the love of his life.”  
“And he’s one of the great loves of mine. But it’s over now.”  
“Does Logan know he’s one of the ‘great loves of your life’ and not the love of your life?”  
“Yes. He knows that the love of my life was Don. Everyone else pales in comparison, but…”  
“But he’s gone.”  
“Yeah. I’m still mad at you, you know. Don’t think that playing the ‘I understand you so well’ ex card is going to change that.”  
“I know. Can you ever forgive me? I never meant to hurt you, just piss you off.”  
“Maybe?”  
“I’ll take maybe.”

He stands up, walks over to me, and puts his hand on my cheek.  
“How are you really, Veronica?”  
“Fine. Everything is fine. I’ll be fine, Leo.”  
“So decidedly not fine then?”  
“Yeah…pretty much.”

Logan and Eli walk back in and both glare at Leo. Leo drops his hand from my cheek and steps back. I roll my eyes at all of them and say:  
“I’m going to bed. Clean up any mess you make during your pissing contest.”

I walk out of the room and start going down the hall. From behind me, I hear:  
“V…can we talk?”  
“Yeah.”  
I keep walking down the hallway and enter my room. I sit on the edge of my bed and gesture towards the armchair in the corner. Eli sits down and then says:  
“I really am sorry, V. I never wanted to leave you.”  
“I know. Leo told me you took off a few times trying to come back to me.”  
“I will always come back to you.”  
“Eli…”  
“I know, I know. It’s too late. You’re with Logan. I get it. I won’t interfere, V. I love you, I just want you to be happy.”  
“Thank you. You know I love you, right?”  
“I know, V.”

Eli stands up and says:  
“I should let you go to sleep. I’m sorry about all of this. Thank you for letting us stay.”  
“Thank Logan and Mac. It was their decision.”

He starts to walk out the door and I say:  
“Eli. Wait. You should have this.”  
I pick up a framed picture of the kids from my end table and carry it over to him. His eyes fill up with tears when he looks at it.  
“V…Michael and Lilly are so big…Is that Lettie?”  
“Yeah. I told you, she looks just like Valentina.”  
“She does…except for her nose. That’s all cute and pixie-like.”  
“Yeah. Goodnight Eli.”  
He kisses my forehead and says:  
“Goodnight V.”

A little while after Eli leaves and I climb into bed, Logan comes in.  
“Are Leo and Eli safely in their apartment?”  
“Yeah. I taught them the alarm codes and gave them keys and all that.”  
“You’re a good man Echolls.”  
“Yeah, I’m a saint. I’m going to go shower and then I’ll come to bed.”

Ten minutes later he’s back and he’s climbed into bed. I curl up into him and put my head on his chest.  
“I love you.”  
“Hearing you say that still gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I did have something I needed to talk to you about before your fiancé rose from the dead.”  
“That sounds ominous.”  
“It’s not. I asked for a transfer to a desk job. It was approved today when I got back from deployment.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“It means that officially, from now on, no more deployments. I’ll be working here on base, regular business hours. Home every evening and weekend. No more missing birthdays or Christmas.”

I sit up and look at him.  
“Seriously? You’re just going to be home from now on? No more sleeping alone for me?”  
“Seriously. You’re stuck with me baby.”

I squeal and launch myself at him. I kiss him and then snuggle back into his chest.  
“The kids are going to be so excited.”


	6. End

For the next week while the kids are gone the four of us dance around each other in the house, figuring out how to co-exist. Logan and I go to work every day like usual, and each day coming home to Leo and Eli is a little easier. By the time Dick and Mac get back with the kids, we’ve developed a bit of a routine and are all breathing a little easier around each other.

The first time Dick ends up in the same room as Leo, he punches him and our tentative peace is shattered for a while. 

The kids are not sure how they feel about Eli being back. Michael refuses to speak to him if they end up in the same room, Michael walks out. Lillian loves that he’s back, she cuddles with him every chance she can get. Lettie won’t go near him, the first time he tried to touch her she screamed and ran for Logan.

After three months of this, Eli comes in my room one night while I’m working on a case.  
“Can we talk, V?”  
“Yeah. Come sit down.”  
He sits down on the edge of my bed and says:  
“Do you think Michael will ever forgive me?”  
“I don’t know, honey. Losing you after losing his Dad really messed him up. It took him a long time to get back to normal, to trust that Logan wasn’t going to leave him.”  
“I never wanted to leave him. I have loved him since before he was born. I love you, I loved Don. I never would have willingly left him…left you.”  
“I know that. But babe…He’s just a kid. He’s a kid who watched his Daddy die, and then the man he loved as a father disappeared from his life. This isn’t something we can force. He’ll come around when he does…Or he won’t. I don’t know.”  
“That’s not helpful.”  
“My job isn’t to make things easy for you, Eli. You left me too.”  
“I know, baby.”  
“I need to work on this case. Is there something else?”  
“Lettie.”  
“You’re a stranger to her. You couldn’t have thought she would just immediately love you.”  
“I thought maybe there would be less screaming and crying.”  
“She’s a toddler, and suddenly there’s this man who looks like her in a way that no-one else in her family does, and he wants to have a relationship with her. She’s just confused.”  
“I guess you’re right.”

He leaves and I get back to work. An hour later, Logan walks in and closes the door before walking over to the bed and picking up my paperwork and laptop and placing it on the dresser.  
“Hey. I was working on that.”  
“And it will be there in the morning.”  
“Oh…Do you have other plans for my time?”  
“I’m sure I can think of something, bobcat.”  
He takes off his shirt before he climbs onto the bed and leans over me and kisses me. I moan against his mouth and say:  
“I suppose this could be an acceptable use of my time.”  
“An acceptable use of your time? Really?”  
“Love me, Logan.”  
“That’s the plan, Ronnie.”  
He kisses me again while I undo his pants. He pulls away for a moment while he pulls my shirt off.  
“I love you, Ronnie.”  
“I love you, Logan.”

Afterward, we’re lying in bed, naked and wrapped around each other when he says:  
“Marry me.”  
“Logan…”  
“I know, the first husband died, the second fiancé faked his death…Baby, I’m not going anywhere. I got a desk job so I could be home with you and safe. I love you, you love me, I love our kids…”  
“Logan…shut up. Yes, I will marry you.”  
“Really? No arguments about it? I don’t have to beg?”  
“Really. No arguments, no begging. I don’t want a big fuss though, can we just go to city hall?”  
“Yes. If that’s what you want. Yes.”  
As I’m kissing him, there’s a quick knock on the door before the door opens and Dick and Mac walk in.  
“Dick…I thought we had figured out this whole, barging into my room thing.”  
“I’ve seen you both naked before. Mac and I are getting married.”  
“So are we.”  
“City Hall?”  
“Yeah. You?”  
“Yeah…Joint wedding?”  
“Hell yes. Now get out.”

A week later, we’re standing at City Hall with Dad and the kids. Mac and Dick get married first, I’ve never seen Mac so happy. Then it’s our turn. While the justice of the peace is speaking, I can feel Don behind me, telling me it’s okay. I say “I do” with a clear conscience and happily kiss Logan.


End file.
